


i could conquer a world with you by my side

by lategenocide



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Author Is Sleep Deprived, Dom/sub Undertones, Eventual Smut, Is that a thing, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Yandere Undertones, changbin gets locked away probably at one point, changbin is constantly mildly concerned, changbin is trying to survive, changbin is usually in control of the bedroom, character development but hyunjin keeps getting worse, dark kingdom prince hyunjin, elf!AU, hyunjin becomes king, hyunjin has no control over his emotions, hyunjin has world domination plans, hyunjin is obsessed with changbin, hyunjin needy agenda, hyunjin will become fonder of changbin over time, light kingdom prince changbin, magical bond contracts, mostly character relationship driven, parallel to human universe, royalty!au, same with changbin, some plot not much, subtle metaphor for human problems idfk, suicide mission included, they get married, this is self indulgent, time skips because fae's idea of time different
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:01:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25437361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lategenocide/pseuds/lategenocide
Summary: "It would seem that Prince Hyunjin must enjoy accompanying his father for political gatherings, but seeing as how you end up here, I might have to retract that thought," Changbin said.Hyunjin stood above him, loose cheetah print button-up layered by a long leather jacket and a chain choker. His hair was now blonde- and longer, dancing around his neck in a way that would allow anyone to think he was a light elf, if not for that aura. His bangs were tucked behind his ears, but still, strands fell away as Hyunjin leaned over him. He flashed Changbin a wolf’s smile, an odd metaphor for the blonde's choice of wardrobe, draping his arms over the elder's shoulders.( or: Changbin is emotionally fucked and puts about everything above himself. luckily, Hyunjin is his carbon copy, but just enough deviated from the original meaning of those phrases to be just outside of Changbin's moral comfort zone. )
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin/Seo Changbin
Comments: 19
Kudos: 85





	1. do i need you, or do you need me?

Crowned Prince Hyunjin had always had a way of making the servants cower at his feet. 

Whether it was the way dark aura excluded off of him, countered only by Crowned Prince Changbin's light aura, or the cold glint in his bright but sly eyes, just characteristic of a dark elf, or perhaps it was the way his words were clipped and sharp, leaving no room for mercy when one was at his hands.

But then again, Changbin hadn't visited the dark elf's kingdom since two centuries ago, so perhaps this was just the reaction his servants had to Hyunjin. He doubted it.

As such, Hyunjin's ankle boots announced his arrival at Changbin's open door, even before he knocked. Changbin's servants all but fled the scene as Hyunjin entered the room anyway without waiting for Changbin's "come in". - It seemed only Changbin did not find Hyunjin intimidating in any sense. That was a lie. Hyunjin was terrifying in ways that others would not know, and Changbin envied them for it. 

"It would seem that Prince Hyunjin must enjoy accompanying his father for political gatherings, but seeing as how you end up here, I might have to retract that thought," Changbin said, setting aside his novel after tucking a bookmark to allow himself a way to get back to his place later.

Hyunjin stood above him, loose cheetah print button-up layered by a long leather jacket and a chain choker. His hair was now blonde- and longer, dancing around his neck in a way that would allow anyone to think he was a light elf, if not for that aura. His bangs were tucked behind his ears, but still, strands fell away as Hyunjin leaned over him. He flashed Changbin a wolf’s smile, an odd metaphor for the blonde's choice of wardrobe, draping his arms over the elder's shoulders.

"Awh, drop the formalities, Changbin. Did you miss me? It's been a couple of years, hasn't it?" Hyunjin leaned into Changbin’s personal space, his pupils dancing as they switched from their normal dark brown to an elated deep pink. For dark elves, their eyes were quite literally the doorway to their emotions. Most dark elves could of course consciously control the changing of colors in their eyes, but Changbin could not remember a single time that Hyunjin had decided to hide away those changes. He wasn’t quite familiar with all the colors, but it was easy to interpret Hyunjin’s deep pink orbs.

“As you’ve said, it’s been merely a couple of years. How can I miss you in such a short time?” Changbin pointed out. 

Hyunjin pouted, jutting out his lower lip in an insincere gesture. Changbin wasn’t fooled by his act, since his eyes stayed the same shade of pink, even as Hyunjin whined, “How mean. The humans don’t think it’s short.”

“We,” Changbin flicked a finger between them. “Are not humans. Their lifespan seems worthless compared to ours, of course, two years will not be considered short in their eyes.” Unlike Hyunjin, Changbin was a light elf, but that could not explain his quick remarks for Hyunjin. Perhaps the other had already somehow influenced him in some way, but Changbin still treated everyone else, including his subordinates, kindly. He had none of Hyunjin’s viciousness in terms of his overall personality, nor was he prone to malicious intent. The only viable theory left was that Changbin’s tongue was a defensive mechanism, created to contact Hyunjin’s poisonous tactics.

Hyunjin was an interesting character, maybe not for the fact he was the Crowned Prince, but for how typical dark elf traits seemed to be magnified on him. Hyunjin was rudely attractive, definitely heightened by his aura and his dancing eyes. Hyunjin did not bother concealing emotions, it went surprisingly well with his oftentimes off-putting personality. If ruthlessness determined the heir of the dark elves, then even if Hyunjin wasn’t the eldest, he would've still become heir. 

On the other hand, Changbin wasn’t worried about his life. Hyunjin was, by the contract, unable to physically hurt him. Neither was Changbin, but the idea that the shorter, yet much buffer male would lay a hand on anyone was a difficult one to wrap their hands around. Now, this didn’t mean that Changbin hadn’t gone through a blissful phase of wanting to stab him anyway- it simply wasn’t his nature to do so.

Hyunjin smiled down at him, “Ah, Binnie, you’re so interesting and boring at the same time,” his fingers threaded themselves through Changbin’s shorter and more practical hair, which had never seen hair dye in its life. Changbin only stared passively at him, but Hyunjin didn’t tug him closer. Instead, he leaned down, his knee by Changbin’s thigh and breath fanning his lips. “It makes me want to toy with you.”

“I’d rather not, there’s too much thinking involved,” Changbin replied, stone-faced and tense. No matter how much of Hyunjin’s toying he had been subjected to for the last century, he had yet to get used to it. “Shouldn’t you be attending with your father?”

Hyunjin laughed, “He knows I’m only here because I’m interested in you, Binnie. Besides, I’d only be there if it was required, and even then, all my attention would be on you.” Hyunjin’s words fell out of his mouth in an uncensored stream. Changbin flicked his attention the color of his eyes to check for his white lies but found them lavender anyway. It was always harder to not react when Hyunjin was telling the truth. Remembering that Hyunjin liked him because he wanted toys to play with didn’t help.

“I wouldn’t necessarily be attending, what would you do then?” Changbin pointed out, even though he knew the flaw in that logic.

Hyunjin swiped his thumb over Changbin’s bottom lip, effectively making the other flinch. A smile spread across his lips and his eyes turned bright pink, “We hold the same titles, Binnie. Of course, if I was required, you’d have to be there as well. Besides, I’ll just slip the meeting if you weren’t there. Everything is so boring without you.”

Changbin wasn’t sure how he was to reply, so all he said was, “Don’t.”

In retrospect, Changbin was probably denying much of what Hyunjin was willing to give him. The younger had odd tendencies, and more than likely saw the ones around him more like stepping stones and toys more the equals. Hyunjin had a silent ambition that Changbin had figured out, surprisingly before anyone else. It was the reason why Hyunjin put a knife to his neck the second time they met, sixteen years after the first. 

Despite knowing that technically, Hyunjin wouldn’t hurt him- and it was just a knife, not poison deadly to elves, he had felt as if he was on a line anyway. Hyunjin was a person who couldn’t care for the balance of the fae world for his ambitions. Unluckily, Changbin had become a number on his list, someone to obtain and probably silence.

Oddly enough, Changbin understood that, in some sense of the word. If Hyunjin couldn’t silence him in the normal way- killing- then he would have to frighten and keep him under his watch, lest he told his secrets. He would protest that he didn’t know any of Hyunjin’s best-kept secrets, but he did know Hyunjin’s bone-deep ambitions, and that was just enough for Hyunjin to keep his eyes on him. He was not a trophy, but a captive in a golden cage.

Hyunjin tilted his head, affecting an innocent look. It didn’t work because his eyes were still that shade of bright, piercing pink, “Don’t what?” 

“Don’t say all that, you don’t mean it,” Changbin replied in a weak attempt to follow up. 

Hyunjin, now with light blue seeping into his lavender eyes, snorted, “That’s so mean, Changbin already knows what my colors mean. You memorized most of them a _long_ time ago. Don’t accuse me of insincerity when you know it’s not.” 

Indeed, Changbin knew what most of his colors meant. He had seen most of them all at once about two centuries ago and spent the next century figuring all of them out. There were still a few colors he wasn’t sure about, but whatever was left, he figured he didn’t want to know unless he needed to know. 

He didn’t know how to retort, because Hyunjin was right, but the younger saved him from finding a suitable reply when he changed topics, “By the way, my father told me something interesting before we came here. Wanna hear it?”

Changbin knew he was going to say it anyway, so he nodded, mute. 

“My father’s going to yours for a more official alliance proposal, using a deeper contract to keep the peace,” Hyunjin said, absolutely glowing. Changbin didn’t feel the same, knowing very well what deeper contract Hyunjin was referring to and the two people involved.

“A marriage bond will not guarantee peace,” Changbin disapproved. 

Hyunjin paused, “How’d you know? My Binnie’s smart as always,” he looked amused, as told by his deep pink eyes. 

“I’m not yours-”

“Not yet, officially.”

“And there are few bonding contracts considered more sacred and deeper than ours. No one has successfully performed a soul contract in several eons. The best option for two royal families would be the marriage bond,” Changbin replied, neatly ignoring the implication that Hyunjin already saw him as “his”, bonded or not. It would be almost flattering if Hyunjin would rather kill him if he had the chance.

“Oh, I guess you’re right-”

“You guess? It’s literally out of a textbook.” Changbin interrupted, looking unimpressed. “What do they teach you in your kingdom, other than the mandatory politics?”

“-Though, you sound so doubtful. You don’t think your mother will agree?” Hyunjin blinked at him. 

Changbin was ignoring the question to comment on Hyunjin’s eyes, “Royal blue looks good on you,” Hyunjin flushed, the royal blue in his oculus sparkling with the compliment. Changbin preferred happiness on Hyunjin, partly for the fact he didn’t always feel like a toy when it showed its head. He brushed past it to say, “I would not say I know what her decision will be. It’s only that marriage contracts don’t guarantee peace, as there are loopholes in every bond. Besides, it only includes the harming of both party’s families, but should one attack the other’s nations, there is no violation.”

Listening to Changbin talk, Hyunjin didn't seem to care for the root of the cause, as told by his careless shrug, “Whatever, as long as I get you out of it.” 

Changbin did not blush. He did not.

“You wanted to kill me when we were just into our twenties,” he pointed out, feeling the heat in his ears. He kept a straight face, but he didn’t miss the self-satisfied smirk on Hyunjin’s lips when he flicked his gaze briefly to Changbin’s red ears. 

“Guilty,” Hyunjin admitted easily. He shifted so that he was sitting directly on Changbin's lap, instead of standing over him. "But since I can't kill you, I'd rather keep you by my side to watch over you. Besides, Binnie's cute when he's blushing for me, you see."

Hyunjin's arms were still draped over his shoulders, he wasn't sure whether the younger was flirting or purposely making him uncomfortable and off guard. Either way, Hyunjin's deep pink eyes were back. 

Changbin decided to not say anything, only pressed his hands on Hyunjin's shoulders in a futile attempt to push him away. Despite the strength training he had been going through, Changbin was no match for Hyunjin's inherited super-strength power. He would assure himself that it was to be expected, but he still felt cheated somehow. 

Hyunjin's laugh was a bit mocking to his ears, "Poor Binnie."

Changbin considered Hyunjin a menace, but he wasn't going to say that. "Don't act like you wouldn't ruin my kingdom if you had the chance."

"It's not yours. Besides, it's funny how you think I need to ruin this kingdom. It's kinda pretty, in that disgustingly overly joyful sort of way. I'd dissolve the borders, that's all. As humans do, conquer and colonize," Hyunjin replied loftily. Changbin gaped at him. Dark elves did not mingle lightly with light elves. If they weren't a royal then they wouldn't be able to withstand each other's auras. 

Hyunjin thought the way a dark elf should, but that didn't stop Changbin from hating it. Certain things were set the way they were to avoid fall out and collapse, but of course, he would want to reduce the two remaining elf populations to powerlessness. - Somehow, he allowed Changbin to hear snippets of his thoughts, each one sounding more and more like the end of the fae world. 

"That-" Changbin opened his mouth, closed it, then tried again. "You'd ruin all of us."

Hyunjin shrugged, "It's only the collapse of a couple of sub-worlds. No population will be completely wiped out." 

The older fell silent in a futile attempt to wrap his mind around this. Changbin could not say he understood Hyunjin, but he did know it wasn't just as simple as his desires to ruin. There was something underneath, too far out of his reach because Hyunjin knew well enough to not trust him with his real motives. Certain things would be hidden from him until the last minute, which was still off-putting. That Changbin may still be alive until Hyunjin’s downfall, or until his ambitions are fulfilled. Then what? He had always wondered what he would do when he conquered what he wanted to conquer.

Hyunjin perked up at the sound of footsteps, drawing his attention away from Changbin’s silent shock. He slid gracefully back to a standing position, and Changbin followed suit. They were in close proximity, barely a foot apart.

“Mother,” Changbin said, as the woman revealed herself at the door. The king of the dark elves followed in close pursuit, so Changbin hurried to bow, his “Your majesty” somehow timed perfectly with Hyunjin’s.

Just taking a glance at his father, Changbin could see how he had inherited the man’s sharp, unforgiving looks. Over the years, Hyunjin had grown into his features, looking more and more appropriately like an heir to the crown. 

“It’s been brought to my attention that Hyunjin has been pursuing you,” as his mother spoke, Changbin could feel Hyunjin’s arm start to sneak around his waist, a movement that neither of the rulers missed. Her Majesty glanced pointedly at that gesture, “It seems to be true.”

Changbin himself wouldn’t call Hyunjin’s not-threats a sign of pursuing him, but he stayed silent. 

He also wasn’t as impatient as Hyunjin to hear what they were here for either, because he could see the irritation and curiosity flashing through his eyes. Changbin stayed patient as his mother continued, “A proposal was brought up for the two of you. Hyunjin seems to have already agreed to it, so all is left is Changbin,” he could feel Hyunjin’s gaze on him, as the words, “A marriage bond will be added to your current contract if Changbin wants it.”

Did he have a choice? Sort of. Yes. No, not really. 

“You already agreed to add the bond?” Changbin glanced at Hyunjin, who huffed.

“I was the one who brought it up.”

No wonder. Changbin returned his attention to his mother, “I will think through it before I make my decision.” 

“We’ll leave it for now, then,” his mother approved. Changbin almost deflated, but he bowed, muttering something to thank her for her understanding. He straightened as she exited the room, but King Jinhyung stayed behind for his son.

They said nothing, but Changbin could tell they were having a silent conversation just between them, by the changes in Hyunjin’s mood. His father’s eyes stayed the same brown, but that should only be because he made a habit of controlling his emotions. Hyunjin however, was erratic and free of any emotional restrictions. He stood, unsure what to make of this. He wanted to move away to give them space, but Hyunjin’s arm was still wound around his waist and the hand resting at his hip tightened with tension. Changbin did not try to move.

When his father finally left, Hyunjin immediately turned to Changbin, not allowing him another breath before he kissed him, just harsh enough to throw him off balance- well, it wasn’t the first time Hyunjin had kissed him without warning, the younger was prone to feeling possessive, though why he would assume he had any right to thinking of Changbin has his property was sort of concerning.

Changbin could feel the younger’s tongue swiping over his lips before he pulled away, not far away enough so he could breathe, “Binnie. Marry me.” Lavender and mulberry warred in his eyes- Changbin had never seen that color before. 

“There’s no reason for you to marry me,” Changbin pointed out. “Or I to you.” In reality, he knew well enough that once he was married to Hyunjin, he would be transported to the dark kingdom. Effectively, the marriage was also a prison sentence in disguise. Hyunjin would take the throne in a century, or less, but Changbin would virtually be imprisoned. Over time, he would give out from the intensity of being exposed to dark auras all the time - it was a slow-acting poison. Light elves and dark elves light apart because the auras they emitted were fatal to each other, even if one was a royal. Even if Changbin could withstand a few decades of constant exposure, he’d one day collapse from the extent of it. 

Hyunjin stole another kiss, “Why not? I like you, Binnie. I want you.”

“Your concept of liking is just greed,” Changbin replied. “Have you ever actually liked someone, not just wanting them because you think being in control guarantees that your plans won’t fall through?” 

Hyunjin seemed to consider his question for a bit, then answered, with his pupils tinted lavender, “Yeah, you.”

“Hyun-”

“Shh,” Hyunjin whispered, pressing his mouth against Changbin’s once again. Perhaps it had been too many years with this sort of rhythm between them, always pushing and pulling. They had left shallow waters a long time ago- Changbin knew Hyunjin, though didn’t know what switches were being pulled. Changbin gave up to Hyunjin more than he usually intended and in return, Hyunjin replied with more than he wanted. 

As Hyunjin grasped the front of his shirt, he mused with an uncomfortable realization, that the younger’s desire to monopolize had morphed halfway into a semi-interest in him. Changbin was well aware of Hyunjin’s seemingly odd thinking. Perhaps he had spent far too much time with him and not enough tormenting the other princes and princesses of the fae kingdoms that he had forgotten that there was a world beyond just him.

No, that wasn’t the right way to think of it. Hyunjin had plenty of exposure to the other kingdoms. They both had, honestly. It seemed just that the others would rather cut off their magic then interact with Hyunjin. Changbin decided he had been twisted somehow because he couldn’t understand that fear. 

He shrugged off the thought, catching Hyunjin by the waist as the younger’s knees gave out to him. Changbin hummed something comforting as Hyunjin grabbed at his shoulders, hopeless when Changbin kissed him back, smothering the younger’s desperate, “Binnie, please-”.

Hyunjin was dazed when Changbin pulled back, his pinkish-red eyes cloudy with the feeling of his kisses. In some small part of him, Changbin decided that this Hyunjin was pretty. Honestly, if he knew how much the sight would boost whatever self-esteem ( read, ego ) he probably wouldn’t have let it escalate.

“I’ll think about it,” Changbin said, then elaborated when Hyunjin didn’t seem to quite catch up. “The marriage, Jinnie.”

He didn’t notice the near whimper that came out of the younger’s parted, swollen lips with a singular word, “M’kay,” Hyunjin replied, passing the agreement off as nonchalantly as he could. Changbin knew he was probably too out of it to be thinking normally- a normal Hyunjin would ask when- but he didn’t mention it. 

"Binnie."

"Hm?"

"Marry me," Hyunjin shifted in his seat beside Changbin, tugging at the hems of his shirt as if he was playing tug of war. "Please?" was added like an afterthought, a magic word that would hopefully magically make Changbin agree to his whims.

Changbin sighed, setting down his book briefly, though he didn't close it, "Didn't I tell you I'd think about it approximately ten minutes ago?"

"It's taking so long," Hyunjin complained. Changbin was too used to the younger's constantly shifting personality to be confused, Hyunjin did always have a habit of acting cute in front of Changbin ( and Changbin only, he wasn't sure why he deserved this ) in order to get whatever he wished. So far, it worked about 75% of the time. Hyunjin had quickly realized from the start that Changbin would not back down the more force he tried to exert. 

Faced with Hyunjin's pitiful puppy eyes and also his logic, he made him a compromise, "I'll tell you the next time you visit, how about that?"

"That's going to be in the next two years, why do you think I can wait that long?" Hyunjin retorted immediately.

Changbin rolled his eyes for the first time that day, "If you can wait several centuries to take over the throne, you can wait two years for my answer," it would be a yes either way, for Changbin understood some capacity of which Hyunjin was willing to go and he didn't care to quicken the fall of his homeland. But, he didn’t mind watching Hyunjin tense for an answer. Maybe he’d spent too much time with the dark elf.

Still, Hyunjin refused to give up so Changbin said, “Jinnie.” - well, with just one word, Hyunjin visibly weakened. His eyes turned amaranth, bit redder than it was pink. He’d seen it a couple of times when he used certain tones or phrases but still couldn’t figure out what it meant. Changbin made a mental note to ask him later. 

"Before I make the trip," Hyunjin bargained finally. 

"Immediately when you arrive," Changbin replied, giving in a little. That was what bargaining was all about.

"During- no, wait, I'd be too impatient during the trip then. Right before," Hyunjin seemed unaware that he had some sort of self-awareness of himself, a notation that made a corner of Changbin's lips quirk up into a faint smile.

“Alright, right before,” Changbin agreed. 

Immediately, Hyunjin brightened. He hurried to hold out his hands, saying, “Make a link with me so you can tell me,” he was referring to a telepathic link, a contract between two that allowed them to communicate without speaking.

“We have one,” Changbin said. “It’s part of the protection bond. You didn’t know that?”

“What? Really? Show me,” Hyunjin’s eyes turned teal with surprise. For someone who wanted to kill him a while ago, the fact he didn’t glance through some text to see the details of the bond was surprising but also not unexpected. Protection bonds were common knowledge, it was just most fae knew only of the no harm part and not of the telepathy link.

Changbin tapped his temple, _It’s right here,_ he sent. _Can you feel it?_ Telepathy required a strong bond ( apparently they met that requirement, but then again, that was a vague use of the phrase. they could easily have a strong bond as enemies and still be able to create a telepathy link ) and some skill in projecting thoughts towards a certain individual. Judging by the royal blue in his eyes, Hyunjin could hear him perfectly fine in his mind. 

_Yes! Wait, does this mean I could talk to you even from the dark kingdom?_ Certainly, there was no particular written limit to the link, it only depended on the power and the bond of the two involved in it.

_Please don’t_ , Changbin replied grimly. 

Hyunjin’s pout was perfectly in line with the thought he projected back, _Mean_. He fell silent for once, fascinated by the newfound discovery of the already existing link between them. Changbin had known of its existence for a long time now, but decided against using it since Hyunjin was… Hyunjin and he didn’t want to bother. The younger it seemed, cared little for the details of many things for only finding out this part of the bond now. That or Changbin was just too caught up in them. 

Hyunjin continued to experiment with the link as time passed. He could project pretty much anything it wanted, including his emotions and visual thoughts. Changbin shuddered to think what the younger could send. He wasn’t looking forward to much of it.

To be fair, Changbin was not particularly interested in their link other than its magical properties or convenience. Once Hyunjin made up his mind, he would probably be bombarded with less than appropriate thoughts, gore, or otherwise. He hadn’t checked any of the texts to see if he could block the link temporarily or at will, but he figured he would have to look into that for his sanity. In conclusion, not a good time for him.

If he was being honest, Changbin only ever walked Hyunjin down to the gates for etiquette and to make sure the other didn’t damage anything on his way out. It would only be another two years until Hyunjin tagged along with his father to the Light kingdom again yet Hyunjin decided it was a good time to start clinging to him at the end of the visit, something he had never done before.

He could feel every inch of the other’s torso pressing up against him, and also the height difference- just enough to make him seem smaller than he was. Changbin chose to believe that the stares of the guards were just impatient to get on with a journey back home.

“I’ll see you soon,” Hyunjin said as he let him go, eyes wide with expectations. His hands lingered at Changbin’s sides as if reluctant to part with him.

Changbin raised his eyebrows, “If you send me anything questionable and illegal, you’ll never see me again.” Hyunjin was smart enough to know that he meant through their link, but his smile gave him no assurances. Changbin fought the urge to roll his eyes in front of everyone and simply said, “Get going, your father’s waiting.”

“Right, right. Bye, Binnie,” Hyunjin said obediently, slyly pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. 

Changbin fought the urge to slap him and gritted out, “ _Behave_ ,” while his ears went red. Hyunjin flashed him a self-satisfied grin before he joined his father’s side. 

“Hyunjin seems to adore you,” his mother observed once the dark elves had disappeared. Somehow, Changbin felt like he was being teased. “That was rather bold of him.”

“I apologize on his behalf,” Changbin replied stiffly, but Queen Daeyeon only smiled. 

“Don’t let your brain get in the way of your heart,” she reminded gently. “It doesn’t do yourself any good.”

Looking at his brain and his heart, both would say yes for different reasons. Changbin, in the logical sense, knew that it was mostly only his cooperation would Hyunjin listen to and give into him. The not so logical part of him didn’t have an opinion on things, so would just obviously follow whatever his logic said was best.

Changbin didn't say those things out loud, merely nodded his head, murmuring, "I'll try."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello hello here's another work in progress that i'm posting here! yes this will be continued, i'm currently working on the rest of the work. hopefully i can get through all my ongoing works lmao,,,
> 
> feedback is appreciated! if anyone has pointers or thoughts, please comment, ( talk to me ) i talk backkk i like talking people on the internet  
> 


	2. tell me what you're thinking about

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i faded to black for the actual smut am not in the mood for actually writing smut so,,, sorry (?)

Over the next year. Changbin was bombarded. Hyunjin was the fae epitome of shitposting, sending thoughts and not so safe images through their link at any time of the day. Changbin did not like hearing about existential universe theories when he was trying to sleep.

One would suggest he tell Hyunjin to stop, but the thought had never occurred to him. Someone got him a lesson in consent again, for Changbin had truly a bit of a mess on his hands. 

Besides, Hyunjin was mischievous. He also never learned. Changbin could name at least three instances where the younger had woken him up- dead at night, he might add, only to realize that Hyunjin had been fucking himself to thoughts of him. He wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or annoyed. At least, he got some sort of power rush denying him a couple of times when Hyunjin decided to take it a little _too_ far.

Although there were much more tranquil moments, nights where their conversations would lull into early morning talks of nothing important even as Hyunjin would drift in and out of sleep- yet he insisted that he was awake, at least until Changbin ( metaphorically ) put his foot down. 

In the last two years, Changbin had figured out how to feel the emotions and the state of Hyunjin through their link, even when the younger wasn't projecting thoughts for him. With that, he could easily tell whether or not Hyunjin had gone to sleep like he had told him to.

And of course, by the time two years were up. Changbin had made up his mind to agree to the marriage contract, which he told his mother in private. According to her, King Jinhyun knew, but Hyunjin was left in the dark, as in Changbin had intended. He would rather have Hyunjin wait a bit then straight up tell him early. A bit of power-play perhaps, but he felt like he deserved to have the upper hand on him once in a while.

Those two years passed like a flash, barely a blink of an eye and Hyunjin was due to be arriving with his father yet again, something he was told by Hyunjin through telepathy. - He had been bringing it up for two days now. Changbin indulged in him as the younger passed the time on the day of by keeping up a long-winded commentary on the scenery as he passed them by.

Changbin walked out the doors of the palace with his mother to welcome their guests. He dressed in tight leather pants and layered his plain dew blue turtleneck with an oversized deep forest green corduroy jacket. He was silent, but in his head, Changbin was humming along to Hyunjin’s one-sided conversation.

_I see the castle,_ Hyunjin suddenly reported, then barely a couple of moments later, _An_ _d you_. Changbin himself could see their ride approaching speeding along just below fatally fast. 

_Binnie?_

_Yes?_

_Can you give me your answer now? Will you marry me?_

After a long pause, he said, _Yes, I will._

Excitement radiated off their link, forcing Changbin to keep his facial expression neutral even as their ride stopped. The first person out of it was Hyunjin, practically running towards Changbin. Dark red filled his pupils, which was the first warning sign, and second, this uncontrollably dark, alarming feeling- which Changbin placed to be Hyunjin’s possessiveness that was overflowing from his side of the link now that it had been opened and used.

He didn’t have time to realize that this was going wrong, not that he hadn’t braced for something like that before Hyunjin pulled Changbin towards him, the words “You’re mine now,” leaving his mouth before he kissed him full force. 

Hyunjin threaded his fingers through Changbin’s hair, ignoring the discreet coughs of his father. Changbin himself was pretty much immobilized by the intensity of Hyunjin’s emotions, barely able to grasp at his arms for some sort of stability - he could feel Hyunjin press them closer together, frustration mounting through his skin when he felt like it wasn’t good enough. He wasn’t _in love_ with Changbin, but Hyunjin certainly almost made him wish that was all it was

. 

The younger’s overwhelming feelings of possessiveness, pleasure, frustration- and countless others were barely contained in Hyunjin’s mind. Changbin himself was trembling faintly, locked in place by Hyunjin's strength. Fear was some familiar stone lodged in his throat, but he was better at pushing down his emotions than Hyunjin was. 

Heat curled in his ears with an audience, and the both desperate and reprimanding _Hyunjin_ , only made the younger loosen his grip and release him from the kiss, but he made no move to let him go. - Mulberry and dark red harmonized in the pupils of his eyes as he stared expectantly down at Changbin, just perfectly reminding him that he was a hefty four inches shorter. It wasn’t an appreciated reminder. 

Thankfully, his mother saved him from having to say anything else, “It’s nice to see you, Hyunjin,” she said politely. Her voice seemed to cut through his stubborn fog, and Hyunjin let Changbin go for long enough to bow to her. 

Changbin himself took the opportunity to greet King Jinhyun, his face flushed with pink. The king, however, looked mildly amused. Changbin seriously hoped Hyunjin had never entertained his parents at the dinner table by talking too much and too fast about him. He didn’t have any dirty laundry ( well, much- everyone had something to hide ), but he didn’t want to think about Hyunjin talking about him without a filter. 

Hyunjin tugged Changbin back to him when they followed the two opposing rulers back into the castle, Mulberry fading away for just tints of dark red in his normal brown. Their parents’ conversation faded for one of their own, whispered loud enough for them only.

“If you were going to tackle me like that, at least wait until there was some sort of privacy,” Changbin grumbled. His lips were swollen pink already, forming an unintentional pout.

Hyunjin tilted his head at him, “Why does it matter?”

Changbin would have spit blood out of his mouth if he wasn’t in perfect health, “It _matters_ , because of courtesy.”

“I think it’s pretty courteous to remind everyone you’re mine from now on,” Hyunjin replied, unfazed. Changbin was both unnerved but not surprised by the answer. He never went into it thinking it would be a marriage of equal partners. Despite whatever outward image they had, Changbin figured he wouldn’t be much other than Hyunjin’s property in his delusional but cunning mind. Then again, maybe there were some genuine feelings, but either Changbin was in denial and he’s just too oblivious to Hyunjin’s smaller signs to see or, Hyunjin’s brand of “genuine feelings” included threatening to lock him up if he ever tried to leave his side.

The two deviated from the opposing rulers by the grand staircase. Well, it was Hyunjin who initiated that separation first, attempting to tug Changbin towards the grandiose staircase up to the upper floors. Of course, midway up the first set of stairs, he paused, turning silently to look at his father. Changbin waited, watching the faintest of expressions flashing through Hyunjin’s face through the mainly silent conversation. 

Finally, King Jinhyun turned away from the two, back to the Queen. Queen Daeyeon herself raised her eyebrows at the silent exchange but tipped her head towards them. Changbin takes that as silent permission to do whatever they want. Hyunjin’s face was expressionless as if he’d learned to hide his emotions. Without another word, Changbin was pulled upstairs, straight to his side of the second story, where he slept and worked. He wasn’t surprised that Hyunjin knew where his bedroom was, though the younger one had only ever been in his office. 

“What were you discussing with your father?” Changbin couldn’t help but ask.

Hyunjin’s answer was breezy, “He thought we’d be in the room with them discussing the last details of the contract. And to decide all the nuances of the ceremony.”

By that time, Hyunjin had closed the door behind him, he had also pushed Changbin up against the bare walls of his bedroom, leaning in impatiently towards his lips. Changbin grabbed at the younger’s clothes in the case that he went weak in the knees, but he allowed Hyunjin to explore his mouth, his lips becoming slick and swollen with every kiss. 

“I’m guessing you don’t care to discuss the details of the contract or ceremony if you’ve dragged me all the way here,” Changbin commented once Hyunjin broke away from him. The other broke out into a smile, the one where even his eyes became crescents.

“Just want Binnie,” he mumbled, pulling Changbin into his arms, His breath fanned the older’s neck. “Doesn’t matter what gets done as long as I have you.”

Changbin thought about his words for a moment, then discarded his next words. He pressed a couple of closed-mouth kisses to Hyunjin’s neck, humming something that sounded like acceptance. He left red blossoming with his trail down to the younger’s collarbone, marking purple and blue hickeys were Hyunjin’s neck met his shoulder. And perhaps when he pressed kisses into his skin to soothe any leftover pain, he had muttered, purposely loud enough for Hyunjin to hear, “I bet you’d look delightful with a collar around your neck.”

He’s boring, in some sense, but Changbin knows pretty well that he’s pulling at Hyunjin’s every touch, despite the fact technically, as a newly engaged couple- Changbin wants to roll his eyes, truly, but he has self-control- it’s encouraged that sexual intercourse doesn't happen until after marriage. The fae does, however, encourage hookup culture, so it’s not like Changbin doesn’t understand all of Hyunjin in that sense anyway. He’s tested the other elf’s limits several times, learning more about him in ways he had long discarded in the storage bin labeled, “Hyunjin”. He does also wonder if their parents know they’ve hooked up on much more than one occasion.

“God, you’re so mean,” Hyunjin panted, clutching at Changbin like he’s his lifeline. 

Changbin’s shrug was a shadow of what Hyunjin would do, ”I like a power trip as much as you do, Jinnie. Perhaps you’ve rubbed off on me.” Hyunjin’s back to kissing him after the words leave his mouth, wrapping his arms around his neck. Changbin knows Hyunjin’s body language enough to know it’s his way of saying shut up when he’s feeling weak for him. It only fuels the odd desire to have a bit of power over the younger.

They don't go far, thankfully maintaining a tacit understanding of respecting traditions. 

“I want to stay here until we get married,” Hyunjin said, ten minutes afterward. He looked expectantly at Changbin, whose mind was too focused on human war tactics to process it quickly.

“Why?” he asked. “Wouldn’t it be easier on your soul to wait at home?” - the Soul, or what provided the energy for elves to produce an aura. For them, the soul was the true indication of living and dying, not whether or not their brain had been damaged or if their heart had stopped working. If an elf’s soul was still glowing, then there was hope. Another vessel, or a body revival. 

It was also why if one wasn’t a strong elf ( meaning, typically, a royal elf or higher ), the auras of an elf from the opposing kingdom were deadly to each other. The two souls, light and dark, had different charges. Say, if the dark elves had a negative charge, then the light elves had a positive charge. Thus, if they met, the colliding souls would cancel each other out, effectively erasing the elves themselves.

Royals, though, were different. It was a subject Changbin had trouble wrapping his head around. It was a strange myth, that two ancient rulers of the two kingdoms had fallen in love, granting the future ruling families the ability to withstand each other’s auras- and that was just a nutshell. There were too many spells and plot twists for him to thoroughly understand any aspect of it. He did not understand the “love shall conquer all” part of the myth either, but maybe the trauma of knowing some pieces of Hyunjin’s plans sort of made such ideals tasteless to him.

Hyunjin rolled his eyes, “My aura’s not as strong as yours, Binnie, but it’s still strong. Besides, it’s only a month, I’ll be fine.”

“I know how strong your aura is,” Changbin replied dryly, neatly sidestepping how they _both_ probably had broken some privacy boundaries if they could gauge the strength of each other’s literal lifeline. “You didn’t answer my first question.”

Hyunjin reached out to grab him as a reply, pulling him closer from where he was sitting on the couch. He pressed his head into the crook of his neck, mumbling, “there you go,” with a touch of shamelessness. 

“Clingy,” Changbin retorted without any heat. Hyunjin laughed, wrapping his arms around Changbin's torso. The older ( by _only_ about a year, at most, as Hyunjin had reminded him about sixteen times in the last two centuries ) ruffled Hyunjin’s hair with a semi-fond look on his face.

Preparations for the royal wedding lit the castle into a feral frenzy, and Changbin got caught up in it, pulling Hyunjin under despite the dark elf’s very apparent and loud distaste for wedding preparations. 

“It’s your wedding, at least put in some input,” Changbin felt like he was the mother as he said it, but Hyunjin’s follow grumble and a casual wave of his hand at the list of probable flowers did wonder in helping him set in the amount of detail Hyunjin was willing to discard- that is, if it didn’t relate to his plans to overtake both elven kingdoms. It felt like he was being condemned to an eternity of dealing with a clingy, villainous husband.

Fun. 

“I think we should go for the gold trim on your suit,” Hyunjin replied. He then sat up. “Can we switch crowns? Please? I’ll wear yours and you’ll wear mine? Binnie, I wanna see you wear my crown.” 

Changbin glanced at his mother, raising an eye while Hyunjin waited impatiently. His mother smiled, waved her hand in an affirmative gesture, so Changbin turned his attention back to Hyunjin and nodded, pairing it with a light, “Okay.”

Hyunjin grinned back at him, delighted and easily pleased. Changbin studied that over-excited expression and felt a dimly lit bulb of affection in his chest. He held off the underlying message in that for later, and gently pestered Hyunjin into splitting the work with him so that he didn’t die from overwork before the official wedding ceremony. 

Despite how much work Changbin had invested in the wedding, he did not, in fact, die from overworking on the day of said wedding. Unfortunately for Changbin’s abilities to not run out of social battery, the length of a full wedding could easily rival one of a human, which he had no appreciation for. 

Hyunjin too had wrinkled his nose at the final schedule that had been produced, but for a totally different reason, which he had gallantly informed Changbin of once they had retreated to Changbin’s suite of rooms. In all, he was just happy that Hyunjin had the sense to not be parading his dirty mind in the publicity of the main castle areas.

Thoughts like that calmed his restless mind as he went about on the day of the wedding to carefully and painstakingly prepare. He’d woken up before Hyunjin would ever stir, dropping a light kiss on his forehead, closing the door behind him as the sun showed itself over the small hills of the country. Hyunjin wouldn’t know that, since Changbin had replaced his thin curtains for heavier ones once Hyunjin complained he couldn’t sleep well with so much light coming through. The dark elves had accustomed more so to darkness, thus the painfully obvious name.

He buttoned the last of the silver buttons with steady fingers. Breakfast had been several hours ago, so was the sound of Hyunjin’s footsteps as he was rushed to a dressing room hurriedly renovated just for this occasion. It was quiet inside the room- just him and too many pieces of ceremonial clothing. Hyunjin’s crown- a surprisingly not so gloomy ornament made of thin titanium and silver, with an evergreen emerald as its centerpiece sat in its velvet case, untouched. It was power, the sort that took up space and demanded attention. Much like Hyunjin, Changbin mused dryly. 

He favored his hair with a cursory glance in the mirror, then glanced at the hourglass sitting in the corner, counting down the last minutes before a servant would come to get him. He hadn’t thought much of it when Hyunjin had suggested it, but he had realized when he was whisked off to this room that the crown on Hyunjin’s head was not suitable for him- they were entirely different entities. He wondered if Hyunjin was having the same troubling thought as he was. Although light elves were known to be friendlier, that had nothing to do with the ancient power of both races. 

With a bit of nerves, Changbin picked up the crown in his hands, settling it atop his head. Nothing happened, his head did not explode, so Changbin assumed he wasn’t going to die on his wedding day. That was often a good sign.

Good sign or not, he reflected as he followed his two guards and the servant out to the towering doors of the castle’s ballroom, it was still a wedding ceremony nonetheless. One of two princes from differing sides of the elven race, not combusting from coming in contact with one another. 

Some war in his head was going on; he wasn’t sure if it was his or Hyunjin’s. The greed was definitely Hyunjin’s but the tingling excitement was unplaceable, just the same as the nervous tremor up his spine. Impatience had started to whisper in his head when the heavy doors creaked open, revealing Hyunjin on the other side of the hall. 

Not that he was surprised, but Hyunjin looked good in his crown. The familiar rose gold lining and serpentine details in gold nestled itself in Hyunjin’s blonde hair, braided up into a half-up hairstyle, interwoven with flowers. 

It was probably too dramatic of a description, but Changbin started walking as rehearsed, but every inch of him was locked on Hyunjin. His steps echoed through the room in the same tempo that the orchestra played its song as if they were moved by its command. 

Each step felt like a gentle time rush forward, yet five steps back in time. It was an emotionally overwhelming process, as short as it was. Changbin wasn’t one for interpersonal details in any context other than politics, but the dull blue eyeliner made Hyunjin’s royal blue pupils distinct. They glimmered, focused on him with intensity. Some had described their reactions to the wedding event with something like butterflies in their stomach- but Changbin didn’t feel it- he felt like the world was heavy around him as if everything was falling away except the gravitational pull that pushed him toward Hyunjin.

Standing in the center of the ballroom, where the priest chanted old words of bonding over them, the silent audience didn’t exist- at least, not in this space and time. Hyunjin stared at him with something of a mix of dark pink and teal mixing in his orbs. Changbin wished privately that the priest would finally get it over with. 

He didn’t fidget, forcing himself to stay still. It was a challenge in and of itself, but not so bad that he wanted to move even an eyebrow. Hyunjin however, looked like he was going to burst. 

“...I pronounce you partners in marriage, for as long as you may be beneficial and loving to each other,” the priest finished. “You may now perform your first act of intimacy as a bonded couple.”

Changbin didn’t wait for them to finish. He stepped forward towards Hyunjin as the younger practically fell into him, grabbing him by the shoulders. Luckily, he was strong enough to catch both of them, and he pressed a soft kiss to Hyunjin’s searching ones. There were no fireworks or special effects between them, nor was the cheers surrounding them particularly interesting, but the insistent cling of Hyunjin to him was enough for him.

Hyunjin wanted to get away from the rest of the wedding- it was in his impatient fidgeting and random flashes of color in his eyes as he struggled to maintain a diplomatic front. There were one too many kingdoms attending, all of which had personally congested them on tying the knot. Changbin wondered if any of the other heirs were relieved that they were not the ones marrying Hyunjin. Really, they had nothing to fear; apparently, only he had caught onto Hyunjin’s devious ambitions. 

“When is this over?” Hyunjin whined quietly over the cake, made freshly by the chef this morning. “Why do light elves have such long wedding receptions?” He squirmed again, his eyes turning olive green for a second before it disappeared back into brown with force. 

“Different physiology, different traditions,” Changbin reminded him, reaching over to wipe the remains of frosting from his cheek, “It’ll be over when the troll royals get drunk enough to ruin something,” he sneaked a glance at their table. “Which is soon enough, I should think.” 

Hyunjin followed his gaze, muttering something along the lines, “This should be the first time I would wish to witness the trolls’ poor drunken habits.”

As he said so, the mild debate at the trolls’ table went from something lighthearted to a moody hurricane in a blink of events- a table was thrown, along with the food placed on it. Changbin winced delicately at the sound of shattering glass and the mess of cake frosting and other delicacies spilling onto other, also temperamental delegates. 

“Guards,” Changbin raised his hands to summon the elven guards surrounding the wedding venue, bending to fingers to command them to get the situation under control. They rushed through the seated, mildly frightened crowds towards the trolls, sacrificing their physical health to wrestle the delegates away from each other, far enough that none of them could get too close to each other to be throwing fists. Thankfully, there only seemed to be a few of them bleeding from punches or dagger stabs. He’d seen worse at other gatherings.

Changbin stood up, looking unperturbed by the interruption, “Thank you to everyone for coming, I apologize for this disturbance. As it is, my _husband_ is feeling under the weather and would like to withdraw. I’m terribly sorry,” he really wasn’t. “to cut our time short. As compensation, I hope everyone will take a gift we’ve specially prepared for everyone as you prepare for rest or the way back home. Thank you for sharing this special occasion with us today.” he made a punctual bow, a hand pressed to his chest. 

The crowd murmured its bustle as it finished the ends of its chatter, their interest turning to the gifts rushed in by attendants. 

Changbin extended his hand out to Hyunjin, who graciously put himself in his hands. 

“Binnie, I didn’t think you were such a good liar,” he teased, with his head shoved into Changbin’s neck at an awkward angle. He was taller than Changbin, so that wouldn’t be the most comfortable position to be in. 

“I became a good one when I met you,” Changbin replied dryly. “I’ve lost count of how much I’ve had to excuse my moods when you were around at delegations, remember?”

“Hmm, I do seem to,” Hyunjin replied as he tilted his head back up, narrowing his eyes in the sort of way a cat would when it was pleased. 

“I’m glad,” Changbin returned sarcastically, as he and Hyunjin excused themselves from their family. Neither had siblings, though Hyunjin did have one best friend- Mingi- who bowed out from coming because there would be too much to be done while the entire royal family was away since his father was put on duty to take care of internal affairs for the three days all of them would be gone. 

He was sure that his mother directed him a knowing look, but Changbin coincidentally didn’t catch it as he oh-so-lovingly helped his newlywed husband out the ballroom and back into the maze of a castle to his rooms. 

As expected, the moment they disappeared from the public eye, any of the behaving front Hyunjin had put up completely crumpled at his feet. He stopped leaning dramatically into Changbin’s side too- this was where Changbin allowed himself a bit of freedom and rolled his eyes.

“You’re mine now~” Hyunjin sang, clasping Changbin’s hand in both of his own. Dark red bled back into his brown eyes as he stared down at Changbin with enough intensity to wither a weaker audience. 

“That’s nice,” Changbin congratulated sarcastically. “You don’t seem very sick, Hyunjin. Are you sure you need to rest?”

Hyunjin rolled his eyes, made some unconvincing coughing sounds, and then continued to drag Changbin up several flights of stairs.

“You know, there are elevators,” Changbin remarked as he was tugged up closer to his suites. He managed to catch up to the younger prince on the final step of the last flight of stairs, wrapping an arm around Hyunjin’s waist as a guard passed them by. “I didn’t think a sickly prince could manage the stairs going up.”

“I’m strong,” Hyunjin replied smoothly, batting his lashes in a way that made Changbin think they should really resume the party, just to spite him. He raised his eyebrows in doubt, tightening his hold on Hyunjin’s waist as he pushed open the doors of his main bedroom. Hyunjin let him roughly shove him through the doors, his face flushed. He was less than surprised when he felt Hyunjin cling to his torso when the doors shut with a faint _click_.

“Binnie,” he gasped, something between a whine and a moan. 

“You’re not keeping it together very well, darling,” Changbin observed in replacement of a reply. 

“Different physiology,” Hyunjin reminded him breathlessly. “Touch me, please, Binnie, please.”

Hyunjin would probably take whatever crumbs Changbin would give him right now and be happy with it- he could feel it in the hard length that pressed against him. But, he wasn’t that mean- although maybe some other person may be. A thought he left behind as he gently detangle Hyunjin’s clenched fingers from his suit and he pushed him up against the door, kissing him until his whines became muffled.

One of them- probably Changbin- shoved the first tuxedo layer off their bodies, leaving them wrinkled on the floor. There was a bit of shuffling and then Hyunjin was kissing him again, pressing as close as possible to him. Changbin pushed his thigh between the younger’s legs in silent permission.

Hyunjin cursed breathlessly, rutting up against him, drawing back to kiss him again- this time, less possessive and a little more desperate. Changbin studied Hyunjin’s half-lidded eyes when he had drawn back to catch his breath. It was the amaranth that he had seen before. Changbin watched as Hyunjin’s mouth fell open, a soft whimper emitting from him as Changbin purposely sneaked his hand under Hyunjin’s soft coral top, dragging the pads of his fingers down his chest. Unlike Changbin, Hyunjin was sensitive to touch in every aspect of his body. It was ironic since dark elves were typically known to not be very sensitive to anything, mind, or body. Changbin, on the other hand, had very few sensitive areas and senses, touch not being one of them. Strength and training had built up a thick layer on his skin, rendering his sense of heat and touch lower than it originally was.

"Binnie," Hyunjin _keened_ and that was all Changbin could focus on. He stopped the slow, torturous pace of his hands and glanced at him, pulling away from him. It only made Hyunjin lean towards him desperately, chasing after his heat. 

“Hm?” Changbin’s only other reply is a flat stare and Hyunjin flushed. Hard. 

At this point, both Hyunjin and Changbin knew what the younger wanted- or, maybe Hyunjin wasn’t really quite sure what exactly he wanted, other than the vague idea of being filled up- he didn’t _care_ how, he just wanted Changbin. Changbin, on the other hand, had no intention of letting Hyunjin get his way, for once. Hyunjin was- easy to subdue, sometimes, occasionally- mainly when he was turned on. It meant that Changbin for all his exasperation at Hyunjin’s antics and the helplessness in the face of Hyunjin’s half threats, half-innuendos, had him in the palm of his hand.

“Speak,” Changbin said softly. “What is it, Jinnie?”

Hyunjin’s mouth opened and closed, struggling to find his words but instead found desperate whimpers as the elder palmed the inside of his thighs, dangerously close to his hardening cock, but not enough to get some sort of relief from the aching, relentless need. He panted, forcing out his words under Changbin’s unwavering gaze.

“I- wan’ Binnie,” Hyunjin whined, looking like he was edging close to tears. Changbin palmed his length through the fabric of his pants, but he didn’t answer, so Hyunjin continued, half begging, “-to fuck me- I’ll be good, really really good for Binnie, _please_ -” his words cut off into a muffled whimper, hands grabbing helplessly at the older’s forearms as their positions are reversed, with Hyunjin’s back pressed to the wall, and Changbin in front of him. 

Changbin threads his fingers through the younger’s blonde hair and tugged hard enough for it to be painful. Hyunjin however, seems to like it fine, by the looks of the rampant arousal in his eyes. In the last century or so, Changbin had learned, while Hyunjin enjoyed praise and degradation at the same time, an art that Hyunjin himself seemed pretty proficient at, he was really turned on by control, being thrown around- or generally being entirely at his mercy. And as he had learned in the recent years ( see also, the entire last two years ), Hyunjin was very good at riling up his partner. 

“You’ll be good?” his voice carries a thick undertone of mockery, a smile accompanying it. “So we’re being obedient now, huh, princess?” Hyunjin chokes with the pet name, cock twitching in his pants. Changbin continues, “Funny. I seem to remember that someone wasn’t very good the last two years.” with those words, he could see Hyunjin scrambling, words failing him again, but Changbin doesn’t wait for him.

It’s sort of callous, the way Changbin wraps his hand around Hyunjin’s neck, just enough to make it a little hard to breathe and redirects the boy onto his bed with the hand on his neck, pushing him down. Hyunjin doesn’t fight him, and Changbin is just nice enough to make sure the fall doesn’t hurt too much.

The way he stands over him, broad-shouldered, stiff, and expression unreadable is- a _thrill._ Hyunjin squirms when he’s half-propped up on his hands. He’s entirely at Changbin mercy, but just that notion is good enough to make him ache in his cock all over again. Hyunjin bites down a whimper.

“You know,” Changbin drawled. “I _could_ leave you like this for an hour or two, make it hard for you to come but put something up your ass to keep you interested. Maybe that would teach you to be good.” Hyunjin twitched, burning with need. “But it _is_ our wedding night, we wouldn’t want to keep poor Jinnie waiting, would we?” 

There was definitely something unspoken in Changbin’s last words, but even before the bed dipped under his weight, Hyunjin found that he couldn’t care what clause had been written in the fine print. He just wanted the taste of Changbin his lips, kissing him dizzy as he worked the buttons open, pushing his shirt off his body and onto the floor in an organized heap, the skin-tight pants joining them a few moments later. 

Hyunjin grasped for Changbin’s shoulders as their lips met again, drowning in his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi i'm backk i have an estimate of how many chapters this fic will be but i won't set one quite yet just in case (I'll set in a chapter or two probably, but it'll still change) 
> 
> i hope you liked the chapter, lemme know if you have anything thoughts <3


	3. dancing stars in your eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi <3 unbeta'd per usual bc do not have Beta & i'v now remade the ending so i have a vague idea of how everything's gonna go? yeah

His wedding night turned out to be the last night that Changbin would be staying in the castle that he grew up in, before being whisked off to a land that abhorred the very blood running in his purple veins. 

When he opened his eyes, forced awake by the internal clock in his system, Hyunjin was still buried in the blankets, his face pressed stubbornly into Changbin’s chest. Hickeys and love bites scattered Hyunjin’s shoulders and upper torso, and Changbin knew already there were some scattered on Hyunjin’s thighs. He hadn’t resisted the urge to tease him until he was begging through his sobs. Groggily, Changbin checked with his memory, trying to remember how he’d managed to clean them both up when Hyunjin was half asleep when it had ended. Honestly, it just sounded like some miracle he did. 

Gently, he attempted to detangle Hyunjin’s limbs from his body- or at least, he tried to. As soon as Hyunjin sensed his source of heating was going to be taken in, he pressed closer, a hoarse whine protesting the treatment. Changbin sighed softly, wondering how he was supposed to get out of bed with Hyunjin attached to him like this. He took to combing the knots out of the younger’s hair with his fingers as he debated whether or not he should just wait for Hyunjin to stir. Of course, he knew full well Hyunjin slept much later than he did; Changbin could be stuck here for hours.

He craned his head to the drawer where he knew a clock stood. It was still early in the morning, still somehow in the first thirty minutes of seven o’clock. For one of the few times in the last century. Changbin cut himself some slack and closed his eyes. He didn’t fall back into sleep completely, drifting in and out of light sleep with every insignificant restless twitch of Hyunjin leaning against him.

Another two hours passed before Hyunjin stirred. A soft, grumbling groan rose from his throat as Changbin arose back from his light sleep, just in time to see Hyunjin slowly open in his bleary eyes, his brown orbs shimmering with a royal blue tint. 

“‘Morning, Binnie,” Hyunjin hummed sweetly, moving his arms around his neck as he pulled himself closer, pressing up against him. He buried his face into the crook of Changbin’s neck, stealing away warmth for himself. 

“Good morning,” Changbin hummed as he shifted himself to a sitting position, bringing Hyunjin along with him, knowing full well it was practically afternoon. Not surprisingly, there was a muffled protest from Hyunjin when the blankets fell away from his body, exposing him to the cooler temperature of a large bedroom. He peeked up at Changbin with distaste, but Changbin was already hauling himself off the bed, half-dressed in pajama slacks. “You know there’s still a part of the wedding ceremony left, right?” he turned to give Hyunjin an expectant look. 

Hyunjin feigned innocence, “Did we?” 

The light elf’s prince didn’t reply, just threw a pile of clothes at Hyunjin’s lap, “Now you know. We can’t keep our parents waiting long.” Changbin disappeared into the bathroom with clothes similar to the ones Hyunjin held in his hands, perfectly tailored for his broader shoulders and typical bodybuilder figure. 

Hyunjin shoved his way into the undershirt first, admiring the handiwork Changbin had done on him. He narrowed his eyes, a pleased smile spreading across his lips. It was easier to be in a good mood when he wasn’t forcefully woken up at an ungodly early hour. He held up his left hand to the artificial light that had been turned on when Changbin rolled out of bed, for there was no natural sunlight filtering through the black curtain, a thrill of desire welling up when he pictured a tattoo on his middle finger, marking his union with Changbin. 

The preparations are done, Changbin walked Hyunjin down the stairs towards a quiet corner of the castle, carefully selected by his mother for the specific ceremony. It wouldn't start until another quarter had passed, so Changbin didn’t rush their way there. 

“Hey, hey Binnie, can I ask you a question?”

“You already did.”

Hyunjin stared at him with a flicker of annoyance. Changbin smiled faintly, then said. “Go ahead.”

“You said to forgo wedding rings,” Hyunjin prompted immediately.

“That’s not a question,” Changbin pointed out. Hyunjin ignored the accusation. “It’s because the marriage tattoo has a deeper meaning in general elf and fae culture than the wedding ring in human culture. It’s… a clear declaration of the bond, I suppose.” he paused, then said thoughtfully, as if he was reminiscing the amount of work put into a day’s ceremony, “dark and light elves have very few similar wedding traditions, but the marital tattoo is one of them.”

Hyunjin smiled, soft and joyful, “How sweet~ Is Binnie in love with me?” he cooed teasingly. In his point of view, Changbin was much smaller than he was, somehow empty of the rage that came with the smaller frame. The temperament difference was probably a result of his upbringing, always being taught to withhold his emotions. As  _ small _ as he was, Changbin was everything different from him where it counted. 

Changbin flicked Hyunjin an unreadable look. He didn’t hate Hyunjin, but it wasn’t like he was only tolerating him, “Focus on the ceremony,” he replied, avoiding the topic altogether. He had mixed feelings about Prince Hwang Hyunjin, so he set them aside for later.

Much later. 

Hyunjin laughed, grabbing Changbin’s arm- he couldn’t fit his hand around the bandwidth of his biceps, something he’d discovered early on when Changbin had started working out, but he liked it, very, very, very much- and kissed him with sugar.

“Whatever my husband says,” he replied, a smile flickering across his lips, settling there like leaves becoming blankets for a lawn of grass. 

There were several ways he could take this, but Changbin chose the high route of silence and stopped at the room’s closed doorway, nestled far away from the constant bustle. He could just hear Hyunjin’s breath in this silence. Even Hyunjin became unusually still. 

It wasn’t anything special at first glance; a set of wooden double doors polished to shine. The handles were bronze, matching with the woodsy brown of the oak wood. But it hummed with ancient beliefs and magic as if infused in scented water, wrapping both of them in its whispered stories. 

“Changbin,” Hyunjin looked away from the looming doors, redirecting Changbin’s thoughts as well. 

He stared back, waiting for his next words, “Yes?”

“You’re mine now. Are you sure you won’t regret it?” Hyunjin asked. Hyunjin reached over to bury his hand in Changbin’s hair, dragging him close enough to where Changbin was forced to tilt his head back more to meet his eyes. 

“I can’t regret it. It’s too late to backpedal now,” Changbin replied. He had a bad feeling about Hyunjin’s cryptic words, but he pushed it away for now. It wasn’t the time to worry about what Hyunjin was up to. 

Hyunjin stared back at him, his eyes unreadable for once. Finally, he said, “Don’t forget,” as he released him, his fingers trailing over his cheek.

Changbin flicked him a confused look, then reached out for the door handled, pushing the door open. The inside was nothing especially remarkable, nothing compared to the grandiose of their ceremonial clothes and both of their parents- Changbin’s mother, Hyunjin’s father- but Changbin could feel the breath being sucked out of him, crushing his lungs flat until nothing was left, before his innards were released, and he could breathe again, even if it was a struggle compared to daily day-to-day life. Magic, raw and undivided into light and dark- pulsed to life around him, so think it was tangible. What it took to keep it contained here, he was only dimly aware of, but no race of fae dared to question the power of their ancestors. 

No one gives out preparation instructions, no one makes small talk. All preparations were made beforehand.

“Be seated,” the queen said, her voice loftily here. The door closed behind them, closing silently as Changbin and Hyunjin took their seats. Before the two of them was a single cup empty for the moment. It sat upon a single piece of parchment, white and flat. It was a drawn up contract that would layer onto their first. 

“Seo Changbin,” the queen uttered.

“I am present and willing,” Changbin replied promptly, soft and calm. His heart jumped violently in his chest. 

“Hwang Hyunjin,” the Dark King said, staring straight into Hyunjin’s soul.

“I am present and willing.”

As the words- simple vows of contract- were said, the words misted over, disappearing as the cup filled up, an ocean swimming in it. 

“The initiating party will drink first,” the Light Queen said. Hyunjin needed no other prompting. He picked up the cup with steady hands- and for a moment through the nervous fog, Changbin thought of a half-buried memory.

_ It had been about a half a century since their first-ever meeting, three since their last one standing publicly in front of the interracial fae delegation together, Changbin a mirror of every common light elf trait- mild-tempered, thoughtful, intelligent- all but the commonly friendly looks. He blamed it on the muscles he’d built.  _

_ Hyunjin, on the other hand, was ever so loud in his displeasure for this event. Changbin could practically feel resentment radiating off of him, even if his eyes hadn’t turned an apricot color with it. Still, he stood straight and proper, smiled cooly at the gathered fae royalty. They all scattered after the mandatory greetings. One of them even had the audacity to send Changbin a sympathetic glance, as if he hadn’t been saddled with the responsibility of distracting Hyunjin since the first meeting. He wasn’t resentful himself, not at all.  _

_ “You’re such a martyr,” Hyunjin said as they sat down. Changbin sent him a half startled glance. Hyunjin continued with a soft scoff. “They’re using you to distract me from them, but you’re going with it. Is the light kingdom that worshipful of sacrificial rulers or is that just a personal problem, Binnie?” _

_ “Neither. Your mortality is different from mine and it’s not worth it to get into some disagreement over something that happens every decade at best with other royals,” Changbin replied, eyes on his plate as he cut his omelet into several slices.  _

_ “Sounds like a personal problem to me,” Hyunjin commented, slicing open a medium-rare steak. Like the rest of the dark elves, Hyunjin displayed a carnivore leaning food preference, while the light elves were aligned more towards herbivores. Changbin found their differences in these extremities extremely cliche, to say the least.  _

_ He remembered how mid-meal, Hyunjin had picked up his glass of wine, took a sip, and then promptly dropped it on the floor, between the two of them. He looked up with shock, but Changbin knew perfectly well it was fake.  _

_ “My apologies, Prince Changbin,” he said to the stares of other princes, princesses, and heirs. “Can I help you change?”  _

_ “No need, it’s alright,” Chngbin replied, dabbing delicately at his clothes. _

_ “I insist,” Hyunjin persisted, and genuinely, Changbin preferred the honest version of Hyunjin, crass comments of his character instead of the prince.  _

Changbin watched as Hyunjin drank half of the cup, blue liquid slipping ver his tongue. He turned a clean forty-five degrees towards him, passing the cup into his hands with a sort of precision and steadiness that contrasted fundamentally with the casualness in his memory. 

He finished the cup. It was tasteless, but it lit up every never in his body like a fiery liquor. Changbin became especially aware of his telepathic bond with Hyunjin, every little detail of emotion coming from him, blending so well with his own, they’d become one person instead of two individuals. Changbin set the cup back down in its original spot with as much steadiness as he could muster. 

It didn’t fade- but burned on fiercely. On the surface, Changbin looked composed, but his internal world had committed arson to itself, everything fiercely on alert. He barely managed to focus before the queen began chanting in time with the king. It was a pitch.

“May your bond be strong, may your love be heartfelt and open. May you be whole, may you find a home with each other, may you have a loving life, and part peacefully when this bond no longer benefits both of you,” they finish with marriage blessings, placing their hand on their respective sons. A flare of pain flashed through his hand, and the burning vanished. 

When his mother’s hand was lifted, Changbin saw the details of Hyunjin’s royal crest tattooed in deep blue ink on his middle finger. The snake wrapped proudly around a dismembered hand holding a dagger with its blade pointing downwards flashed gold once, then settled back into the endless ocean blue. Hyunjin’s middle finger was tattooed with Changbin’s crest- a cracked mask bloomed with flowers and vines. Their names were written clearly beneath the crests, marking the bond in the most obvious way possible. 

The ceremony ended in presenting the two of them with bracelets made of wound golden wires, with the inside of the bracelets etched with an old traditional line, “May these lifetimes be a mountain wildflower.” 

As Changbin walked out of the room, trailing behind his mother, Hyunjin grabbed his hand, inspecting the crest tattooed on his finger with the glow of royal blue in his eyes. 

“I like this better than the human wedding rings,” Hyunjin mused. 

Changbin raised his eyebrows, “I know. It’s the kind of thing you’d enjoy.”

“How thoughtful of my Changbin. We can pack now, right?” Hyunjin cooed, smiling. Changbin’s eyebrows furrowed together. Hyunjin continued with a pout, “We’re moving home, Binnie. Did you forget about it?” 

He had forgotten about it, but it was only because Hyunjin caught him in the very small window in between meetings, pulling an agreeing answer out of him before Changbin could even think about his proposition. Needless to say, he had been tricked out of his home- but why would he be surprised? Typically, one person or the other was going to move out of their home when it was two royals coming together in marriage. It just so happened that Hyunjin took care of the matter in the most Hyunjin-like way Changbin could think of. 

Hyunjin grinned slyly at him, knowing he’d won a s the thoughts passed through Changbin’s head.

“What else did I expect?” Changbin asked out loud, expecting no serious answer. Hyunjin laughed a giddy, triumphant laugh, tilting Changbin’s head up to kiss him, a mumble of, “Nothing else, my darling,” on his lips. 

The castle stood, looming over the country like Changbin remembered it to do. Not much had changed- the walls still looked like they were made from obsidian ( even though he knew they weren’t ), the drawbridge was still covered in steel, only lowered for the two royal vehicles to roll back into the castle’s bounds. Vines hung over window sills, curling up against the wall. Changbin knew that the curtains were all completely opaque, given the distaste of light for most dark elves. It looked like a glorified prison.

“This place hasn’t changed much,” Changbin observed in the same way Captain Obvious would. 

“Mm, my father doesn’t like changing decorations much. He says it’s because the castle is already confusing enough,” Hyunjin replied, glancing up at the towers of the castle. Changbin privately agreed with the king; the castle was a maze, nevermind the royals who ruled the kingdom, but even their residence was a psychological trip. 

As Changbin and Hyunjin made their way into the castle’s walls, an assistant walked up to H yunjin, bowed, and began talking, “Welcome back, Your Esteemed Highness, Prince Seo Changbin. This assistant would like to inform you of today’s schedule-”

Hyunjin leaned over to whisper in his ear, “That’s Yoonoh- he’s my assistant,” he paused, then said. “Do you think Hwang Changbin or Seo Changbin sounds better, Binnie?”

Changbin gritted his teeth, blocked out Yoonoh’s ramblings, and replied calmly- definitely not a reflection of his emotions because internally, he was flustered- “I think Seo Hyunjin sounds best.” a faint thrill ran up his spine with that touch of power play.

Hyunjin’s eyes flashed its telltale possessive dark red, on time with a mumbled curse under his breath. Changbin ignored his head on his shoulder- that position couldn’t be anything close to comfortable, seeing as he was shorter than Hyunjin- putting his attention back to the personal assistant.

“- we will hold a gathering to present Your Highness’ partner to the people of the kingdom, preparations are already underway. If Your Highness could look over all the drafts this assistant has made while you were gone, I would be very thankful-” Yoonoh spoke quickly as if he was getting as much information out as possible before Hyunjin could interrupt. It was a smart strategy, Changbin thought dryly because Hyunjin waved his hand to interrupt him just a few seconds later.

“Sure, sure, put it on my desk,” Hyunjin said. Changbin heard the touch of a spoiled prince in his tone, making the corners of his lips curl up. 

“Yes, Your Highness. Her Majesty also requests your audience once you are finished adjusting to the castle,” Yoonoh said. Changbin was pretty sure if he took it literally, she would have to wait at least another five years to see him. 

Hyunjin tugged at Changbin’s sleeve, “Okay, noted. You’re dismissed. Bring whatever documents I need later.” he dragged Changbin off to his office as Yoonoh bowed affirmatively. 

Changbin attempted to make a mental map of the route to Hyunjin’s office, but by the fifth turn of the corner, he had already forgotten most of the route. He resigned himself to following Hyunjin’s footsteps as he winded up the stairs and turned corners and ignored many orient doors. His head spun by the time Hyunjin stopped at his office doors. 

“Still a labyrinth,” he muttered as he followed Hyunjin into the office. It was larger than his memories, a whole wall of books and documentations. The decor was very stereotypical Hyunjin- maps with red markings, scrawling handwriting, and painted skulls ( Changbin hoped they were fake, but with Hyunjin, you could never tell the truth of the matter ). Instead of one desk, there were two-one emptier than the other. And hung up on the wall across from the bookshelves, there were far too many photos of Changbin- none of which he remembered being taken. With them, were also uncountable numbers of notes, tacked onto cork boards and organized in a way that made sense to mostly only Hyunjin. 

Hyunjin looked unfazed as Changbin’s gaze turned desolate. The vines that grew on his window sill dried up and withered, becoming dust as they fell. He was used to Hyunjin’s antics, to his vocal ambitions. Of course, Changbin observed Hyunjin, watching to make a fuller picture of how he ticked- but he didn’t have photos, or written notes, or a wall dedicated to it. 

Acid churned in his stomach, a whirlwind of vertigo and hot, tingling rock in his diaphragm, keeping him in place as everything else in his body caught back up with his brain.

He took a breath, closed his eyes in a barely successful attempt to contain his quickly spreading horror. The vines were gone- he  _ could  _ return them to the original state, but he was such a mess- a writhing, uncomfortable crash landing of thoughts- that it would be no use to try. 

“Is this necessary?” Changbin uttered it without thinking, ripping his gaze off the wall and back to Hyunjin. “Or did you forget to take it down?” Was he angry or just horrified? He wasn’t sure, so maybe it was a mix of both. He thought of the odd conversation before the private bond contract, Hyunjin’s cryptic “Don’t forget”, his veins a slow icy sludge. 

Hyunjin tilted his head, smiling brightly in the face of Changbin’s frozen over voice, “Of course it’s necessary. What kind of lover would I be if I didn't know everything about you?”

“Have you heard of invasion of privacy? Hyunjin, this checks every box,” Changbin’s emotions flared again, the flammable mixture of anger and horror touching every plant within the castle’s territory. Containing the side effects of his emotions was so much harder than it should’ve been, worse with Hyunjin’s unwavering, guiltless stare. There was a lot to say, a lot to  _ unpack _ , but Changbin was afraid of his temper flaring to unforgivable stages. An old memory glimmered to life- the brief few days of a barren wasteland of a kingdom that had come after a visit from the dark elf’s royal delegation. At that time, being alone with Hyunjin was Changbin’s worst nightmare. It would be funny if he wasn’t standing in a room where all of his information was on display. 

So he tempered himself, shutting off his mind to his heart, and said with the calmest he could muster- he could see Hyunjin start to speak again, so he held up a hand, afraid of what he would say and his reaction- “Nevermind. We’ll talk about it later. Your assistant mentioned something about presenting us to your people?”

Hyunjin narrowed his eyes, something dark and distrust flashing through them with the way Changbin shoved the matter behind him. He stepped closer, and for a moment Changbin thought he might push the subject back in front of them the same way that Changbin had pushed it away from them. But he didn’t. Instead, he said, “Yes. After the marriage ceremonies, the wedded couple appears in front of the public there for the first time. Usually, the people decide whether or not they like the person wedded into the family, but it’s only an opinion- it usually won’t interfere with the bond in any way.”

Changbin raised his brows in mild disbelief, “The way you say that makes it sound like it’s happened before.” with his comment, Hyunjin smiled sheepishly, the majority of the last topic dashed away from his mind. 

“A few times. Sometimes they’ll hate the significant other enough to protest until the marriage is broken,” Hyunjin explained. “But most of the time, nothing drastic happens.” Changbin thought of his kingdom, of the people who were, a majority of the time, peaceful and tolerant to give out second chances. Usually, they would’ve been invited to participate in weddings, but weddings with foreign powers were a different affair. 

Hyunjin smiled, his eyes curling up into emotionless crests, “Don’t worry! If they try anything, I’ll make sure they face worthy punishment.” 

“I don’t think that’s necessary, the people are entitled to their opinions,” Changbin replied, placing his palm on Hyunjin’s chest as if it would soothe the constantly raging inferno in him. 

Hyunjin hummed something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like disagreement as he folded Changbin into his arms, the pads of his fingers digging into his skin with the same ferocity as his ever-changing feelings.

“My Binnie’s too nice,” Hyunjin sighed. “These people’s opinions aren’t that important, okay? Don’t bother with them.”

“Now you’re missing the entire point of ruling over a kingdom. You’re supposed to listen to the people,” Changbin remarked, not moving an inch because honestly, he knew he couldn’t break away anyway if Hyunjin used his inherited strength. 

“Not if they want to have an opinion about  _ my _ husband.”

“We’re standing here alone and somehow you’ve still made me embarrassed for both of us,” Changbin scowled, knowing Hyunjin couldn’t see it. He heard a snuff of laughter from Hyunjin, a little more than a giggle before Hyunjin let him go, compromising their hands for it. 

Changbin forced himself to not look back at the wall of secretly taken photos of him as Hyunjin tugged him out of the office.

“You’re sharing my bedroom,” he informed, sounding absolutely delighted. “It’s been soundproofed.” Changbin wondered if he purposely arranged it to be that way- the soundproof detail was wildly random, but it was something distinctive to their bedroom arrangements- and then decided that Hyunjin probably did.

His bedroom ( a place that Changbin hadn’t visited- ever ) was another two floors up, behind a pair of heavy doors. It was considerably different than Changbin’s bedroom- with the curtains open, Changbin could see about two distinct lights- one fixated on the high ceiling and one as a lamp, right next to Hyunjin’s bed. There was not much artificial light in the large bedroom, but Hyunjin flicked open the ceiling light and illuminated a majority of the room. 

This time, Changbin was a little less surprised to see a corkboard of his photos- a few of them he recognized, and several of them were very old. There was one photo of the first time they ever met in person, the way Hyunjin’s cold eyes and meaningless smile met Changbin’s forced diplomacy captured perfectly. He remembered, vaguely, the worried gaze that the Seelie Court queen set on them. Weirdly enough, the Unseelie queen also seemed to share that worry, which personally told Changbin a lot about the state of their relationship if even the Unseelie felt concerned. 

There was an entire wall furnished into a map of their world in conjunction with the human world, pins and red markers dotting it. The ocean blue walls hung famous pieces of human artwork- none of which was real since Hyunjin seemed to have ruined them without much thought. There were also a few signs that the room had been modified to suit two people instead of one; there were now two bedside drawers, and the open door to the closet saw an entire emptied side of the storages built into the walls.

“I don’t think you’ve ever been here,” Hyunjin commented.

“I haven’t been in this castle for more than a century,” Changbin replied dryly. “The last time I was here, you shoved a knife next to my face into the wall after purposely spilling wine on me.”

Hyunjin didn’t look anything close to guilty, but Changbin wasn’t expecting him to. He walked into the closet, running his fingers over the empty shelves that occupied half of the place. There was a stand of mirrors at the very end- plus two separate vanities, one of them empty. On what was clearly Hyunjin’s side, lowkey jewelry glimmered on the racks. There was a pair of simple emerald earrings- along with the helix ring studded with lighter colored emeralds.

“You still have these,” Changbin commented, mildly interested. Hyunjin tucked his chin onto his husband’s shoulder. 

“I like them. Yoonoh took them to an appraiser- I didn’t know they were custom made by the top crafter of the dwarves,” Hyunjin replied. There was a tint of something like happiness, only a little warmer than it was bright. Changbin remained silent, the memories filling his head again. The emerald set was a bit of an impulsive gift he’d given for Hyunjin’s birthday several decades back. He’d commissioned the best dwarf for them but had taken nearly six months to even find his location, by the time the set and transaction was complete, it was a mere day before the birthday banquet. The royal family wasn’t lacking in riches, but it still hurt his personal treasurer to pay that dwarf to not put some conditional spell on it like they often did.

“You need to study more if you needed an appraiser to tell you the value of your accessories,” he answered instead of speaking of something sentimental. There was nothing sentimental about the laborious amount of work he put into finding that crafty dwarf.

Hyunjin giggled, “Yes, yes, I know,” he coaxed, taking none of Changbin’s words to heart. He took the earrings from Changbin’s unresisting fingers, glancing over them. Excess fondness spilled over from Hyunjin’s side of their bond to the back of Changbin’s head. “Put them on for me?” he dropped them back into Changbin’s hands.

Changbin obliged, turning around. He narrowed his eyes as he took out Hyu njin’s current pair of earrings- white misty gemstones. He carefully inserted the earring pieces before fitting the helix ring in the right place. For the entire short minute, Hyunjin’s eyes never left his face, but it didn’t look like Changbin noticed- or maybe he did, and he was just too concentrated on not jabbing a bleeding wound into Hyunjin’s ears to care. 

Hyunjin tilted his head as Changbin stepped back, blinking innocently at him as if he wasn’t anything other than as such, “Does it look good?” he asked, staring into Changbin’s starry eyes. 

“Of course, who do you think made the gemstone choices?” Changin retorted, a soft huff echoing out of him with the rhetorical question. Hyunjin smiled a genuine, happy smile, not a trace of his usual underlying purposeful flirtations. 

“Thank you, Binnie,” he said.

Changbin coughed, heat rising ( well, heat technically  _ can’t _ rise, but whatever ) into his ears, “Yeah, sure. Don’t you have any important tasks to see to?” 

“No,” Hyunjin replied, dipping his head down to kiss Changbin, tugging him closer, until Changbin was backing him up against the wall next to the matching vanity, their breaths mingling.

Changbin muttered softly as he broke away for a breath, “Why do you have to choose terrible timing every time you want to fuck?” to accent his point, he let his hand drop to Hyunjin’s thigh, eliciting a yelp from the other. 

“We don’t have anything else to do,” Hyunjin said. 

“Your mother requested our presence,” Changbin replied, forcefully resurfacing the words of Hyunjin’s assistant. He narrowed his eyes at Hyunjin’s blank expressions. “You forgot already?” he wasn’t surprised at all, but he did roll his eyes at Hyunjin’s guileful smile. “Don’t keep your mother waiting just for your own superficial desires.” he laced their hands together ( there were slight tricks to getting Hyunjin to listen to him after all; how else would Changbin manage to get his way over the years, even a little? ), satisfied to note there was no resistance as Hyunjinfollowed along.

“She’s also your mother now,” Hyunjin replied, pressing his cheek against Changbin’s hair as Changbin closed the door of the closet behind them. Changbin stared at him, clearly expecting him to lead the way. Hyunjin pouted, “We can just say hello over dinner.”

“No.”

“She won’t mind.”

“Anyone in their right mind won’t mind slow food service, but that doesn’t mean you should delay more than necessary,” Changbin bit back, common sense and disbelief warring his dark, vibrant eyes. 

Defeated, Hyunjin did the only thing he could think of to treat his wounded desire to ( elope? Can you elope in your own home? ) monopolize- he stole one last kiss ( that was a lie ) with a soft, fond laugh, “Yes, Binnie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly,,,, debated whether or not their hella swinging emotions were realistic, and then i remembered they both are testosterone _and_ emotionally fucked so. anyways uh,, i hope this was at least somewhat entertaining, if you have thoughts, theories, whtvr, talk to me in the comments i enjoy reading your thoughts <3
> 
> [twt](https://twitter.com/nvmjoonies)   
>  [cc](https://curiouscat.me/cartelshots)


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